Costco Wholesale’s (COST) Outperform Rating Reaffirmed at Telsey Advisory Group

Telsey Advisory Group reissued their outperform rating on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,100.00 target price on the retailer’s stock.

COST has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.9%

COST opened at $854.50 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $379.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $894.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $934.90.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. The trade was a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Bulwark Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100 price target on COST, signaling material upside vs. current levels and giving investors a bullish anchor. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat includes Costco among five high‑quality stocks to own in 2026, highlighting Costco’s “premium defensive” positioning, steady membership income, and mid‑teens historical EPS compounding—support for longer‑term investor demand. Beyond the Santa Claus Rally—5 Quality Stocks to Buy in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Costco is taking steps to open two new Ontario locations, which supports longer‑run membership and sales growth in Canada. Costco takes steps to open two new locations in Ontario
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer‑facing coverage (holiday hours, product roundups, “3 things to know” pieces) reminds retail customers and investors of Costco’s brand strength but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. 3 Things to Know About Costco Stock Before You Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Practical holiday coverage (e.g., New Year’s Day hours) and product arrival lists attract shoppers but are not catalysts for the stock. Is Costco open or closed on New Year’s Day 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect December comps to slow (consensus ~2.2% same‑store sales), and a December sales update due Jan. 7 could confirm softer near‑term trends—this is the primary immediate downside risk for the stock. Is Costco Cooling Off? Why December Sales Growth Might Look Slower
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Javier Polit sold significant blocks of shares in late‑December (SEC Form 4 filings), which can weigh on sentiment because investors sometimes read large insider sales as profit taking. SEC Form 4 – Javier Polit
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation sensitivity: COST trades at an elevated multiple (P/E mid‑40s), so the stock is vulnerable to downside if growth decelerates or macro conditions deteriorate. Market data & valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/shrink risk: recent reports of cargo thefts tied to food shipments underscore logistics exposures that could add cost or cause isolated supply disruptions. Oysters, crab and $400,000 worth of lobster meat stolen in New England

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.